I understand that's the argument the show is planning to make but it hasn't really made it yet. I mean, the same idea is present in Tweeny Witches, except that in that show the people who've embraced science wear sci-fi outfits, live in a shiny, future technotopia, ride armoured beats, fly airships and shoot space lasers.
In LWA TV, science looks like its basically at the level we have today. Which is, y'know, pretty good, but it doesn't seem to be actually equivalent to magic.
We haven't seen the witches though do anything substantial with their magic. The most prominent witch in the show did basic magic shows with pretty much fancy fireworks. There's been no indication so far what the average witch does professionally after graduating from school. Magic so far in that world looks to be a waste of time, especially with the Sorcerer Stone limitations.
So thinking about LWA TV today and the thing my mind keeps going back to is how they're handling Akko. That is without a doubt the defining aspect of the show right now and how the show develops Akko going forward will be the thing that will likely make or break the show. In regards to Akko's protracted 'I'm a dumbass' arc is that it sort of reminds me of Simon from Gurren Lagann. I feel like if Gurren Lagann was aired today, some of the criticisms being lobbed at Akko would have been lobbed at Simon. In fact it actually was lobbed at early Simon when the show was airing.
Obviously there are differences with the major one being that we the audience knew who Simon was going to become due to that flash-forward at the beginning of episode 1. Still I remember the old posts about, "When will Simon do shit? Why is he not getting in the fucking mech?" or "Why is he so useless?". Now I'm not saying that this will be how LWA TV plays out but it's just something I'm keeping in the back of my head, especially with Otsuka being involved to some extent. I guess we'll see how it plays out but if so then the show might end up working better in a marathon format.
I think for Simon to be like Akko, Simon would have to spend the first 5 episodes of the series sitting inside Gurren with no idea of how to make it do anything (and potentially more, when is Akko going to learn how to fly a broom?). In the first episode Simon might not be the greatest pilot, but he still manages to somehow defeat his foe, save the village and escape to the surface.
We haven't seen the witches though do anything substantial with their magic. The most prominent witch in the show did basic magic shows with pretty much fancy fireworks. There's been no indication so far what the average witch does professionally after graduating from school.
I...can't really disagree with you on this point. No-one appears to be doing anything important with magic at any point in the series. Maybe it IS useless.
Ugggghhhhhhhh this show is killing me. I want it to be good but its just...
-Episode starts with people deepthroating Diana's wand and then Akko immediately sucking because we need to see that for the 200th time
-Why is magic considered useless now? Is there like some technological advancement that does the same thing automated? How does magic have value? I don't know, maybe cuz it can make you FUCKING FLY. I don't really have an issue with this kind of story but there's no reason given to why it should be considered out of style...
-At least Akko may start to realize she should probably just study if she wants to become good and not be a troublemaking hoodlum and shitty witch all the time. Wish she realized that four episodes ago
We haven't seen the witches though do anything substantial with their magic. The most prominent witch in the show did basic magic shows with pretty much fancy fireworks. There's been no indication so far what the average witch does professionally after graduating from school.
I...can't really disagree with you on this point. No-one appears to be doing anything important with magic at any point in the series. Maybe it IS useless.
I think it's more that muggles feel there isn't a need for magic for day to day business and if it doesn't have some way of generating profit then it's useless. It doesn't seem like magic in that universe can cure cancer. The major thing in this episode was using magic to transform animals into different types of animals. What good does it do you to transform a mouse into a bat? Maybe transforming a mouse into a horse or some work animal could cheapen the cost of farm animals but Diana's level seems to be an exception and so I'm assuming most witches can't do that.
I think for Simon to be like Akko, Simon would have to spend the first 5 episodes of the series sitting inside Gurren with no idea of how to make it do anything (and potentially more, when is Akko going to learn how to fly a broom?). In the first episode Simon might not be the greatest pilot, but he still manages to somehow defeat his foe, save the village and escape to the surface.
I was thinking more of post Kamina's death where he went into shutdown mode. However even prior to that, he was heavily relying on Kamina. I do agree though he was more useful than Akko currently is as Simon was doing some level of piloting early on.
I also think the show is wasting time by not showing any progress on her front such as dealing with the polar bear in that would have been a perfect time to show off her transformation skills. I do expect that to happen the second time she goes to that sphere thing though.
I...can't really disagree with you on this point. No-one appears to be doing anything important with magic at any point in the series. Maybe it IS useless.
Even with that Shiny Chariot flashback in the recent episode, the 'most important' thing she did was help that old lady get across the street with balloons. It doesn't exactly seem like it has a huge repertoire of usefulness. Maybe you can transform lead into gold however if that was the case then the school shouldn't be having debt issues.
If it actually was useful then I imagine the attendance rate wouldn't be dropping as it looks to be. It looks like your career options after graduation are go into running a magic supplies depot, writing books, teaching, or doing party tricks. Either way it looks a shrinking industry with little room for growth.
This has got to be one of the most obvious examples of the author having an idea for a premise, coming up with a better idea part way through, and just bolting on that new idea onto the old premise instead of properly changing the series.
This has got to be one of the most obvious examples of the author having an idea for a premise, coming up with a better idea part way through, and just bolting on that new idea onto the old premise instead of properly changing the series.
I'm wondering if there's a new composer this season, unfortunately, a lot of details are rather foreign to me as I didn't keep up with information after a point.
We have Ichika, our pink, who seems kind of dumb when she's hyper, and she isn't very good at making sweets because she lacks tact and stirs the pot without considering the science behind sweets. We even see her idiocy in episode 2, as she rushes to the store to get some giga purin (and they do drop giga purin), she runs into the door, which is not a clear glass door, and then immediately grab the handle to open the door in quick succession. She doesn't seem hopeless like Akko though apparently.
Arisu (I'm keeping it short) is our intelligent being, who nerds the fuck out about pudding, and was traumatized by kids not giving a shit because Ranko was an idol..... wait... Ranko was in Go! Princess Precure. Actually now I wonder if there is a continuity of sorts with the more recent three precures. The last two seasons end with a time skip epilogue, granted GoPri's was kept to a minimum, you did see them age. MahoGirls managed to revert their ages cuz magic. And apparently All Stars now interacts directly into the main series canon now. Not to mention Ichika herself has met the previous team in the MahoGirls finale. So there's a chance the same could apply to Ranko?
Anyway, I think so far, the episodes look better compared to MahoGirls starting point. Makes me wonder if there's more confidence in this season so far. I'm not entirely sure if we have "MotW", as I'm not sure if the enemies so far were "generals" of sorts. They might be gremlins based on whatever sweets is made that week. And we have a mastermind show cased in the opening itself. I wonder where they're taking this aspect.
There's still fighting for the most part, I think they're attempting to make the finishers more dynamic and not completely reliant on stock footage, but it's too early to tell.
There's also some nice reactions in the series. There's definitely a comedic tone to it, but I don't think they're shying too far from the more serious moments (I say serious, but I don't mean like "someone died" serious). So far, this season seems promising from what I've seen, although there's some other aspects that caught me off guard.
There was an insert song when Ichika was getting ready for making a cake, and they used live footage as part of the song as well. There's also a 1 minute cooking session after each episode based on what was made too, so you can try it at home.
Gabriel Dropout up to now
It's pretty clear that Gabriel is getting dropped out in favor for Satania. Helps that Raph helps out for her own amusement, which has been a source of enjoyment for me.
You know, that series with Ms. Hanazawa's first main VA role... hello? No one? O.K. then!
Poor guy couldn't even achieve the most basic of transformative magic tricks for elemental bodies during a comparatively long chunk of the series, but to witness how his relationship with Sora flourished in a manner so low-key but naturally sweet, and opened his appreciation for her more whimsical perception of the world that ultimately taught him purer witchcraft ways while coming to terms with his own blood inheritance, was the highlight of the show above any training at some Bureau of Magic.
Such kind of progression felt earned in great part due to the subdued vision of its down-to-earth setting; to capture a slight taste of magical realism that at first sight appears hidden from the naked eye, while giving everyday matters a bigger focus. Although the kind of work which LWA represents and wants to be may not be inclined to aim for such moody (and less bombastic) episodes, I'd love a more mundane vision into its world to complement and expand it, composing an overall more complex mosaic prism... sort of like what 'Vomiting Point' was for P&SwG.
So, in resume, what we might need is some of Osamu Kobayashi's atmospheric direction in this! :-D
What? I can also expect what only I would want from this series like everybody else does here, right?
Starting to think I should drop this in favor of Dragon Maid. I mean it was better then the last few weeks but Akko lack of skills should be the province of the dreadful comic relief and not the main chracter. Also, not really feeling this fading magic debate since I am pretty sure magic could turn the naysayers into newts and shit, popularity isn't exactly equal to power from what I am seeing.
Yeah, go ahead and give my name to a big jerk! ;_; At least he seems like he's going to change his mind over the course of the series.
In retrospect, it actually does make sens that after the early episodes Akko would just kind of expect to be able to bullshit her way through everything with mysterious artifacts instead of putting in the work.
Akko busting through the door was a great bit of physical comedy, really had me laughing.
That was a fun ride, space cowboy... Sorry it took so many months to watch all your episodes...
The show was actually very different from what I expected. I expected some western influence but the touch of cyberpunk and sci-fi was pretty cool. The show has great animation and a really well-realized world. All the characters are well written and have great motivation for the things they do. The middle episodes, while very entertaining, were a bit of a slow burn. I feel the main arc of the show (Spike's story) kind of weaves in and out of the plot throughout the show making the pacing uneven, I felt, at times. And correct me if I am wrong, but now that I think about it, I think
Ed ended up being completely irrelevant to Spike's story. Yeah, she was there for some of their adventures but never had a real impact in Spike's end game. Don't get me wrong though, Ed is awesome.
Now I am just scraping the bottom of the barrel for that "con." All in all, it was a good show to watch and I am glad I watched it. I probably can't analyze the show as well as some have here for years, so I am not going to try. I can say that the mood of each episode was top notch and always did well to set it early in each episode. The visuals hold up after all these years and I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future. It has a classic, highly-detailed art style. All the characters, even minor ones, are all likable and memorable. And while having a few oddball episodes, they are all entertaining in their own ways.
If you haven't watched it yet it's a good one. I am not one to "gush" over the "classics", but even if you aren't into '80s or '90s anime, don't let that deter you. This is a fun watch even today. And this is coming from someone who just watched it for the first time in 2017.
Twin Star Exorcists Episode 42 – I Come from Magano - Say It Ain't So, Rokuro!
A better couple than Roku Benio, Yuto is the best antagonist in the anime and series and I cant wait for the next encounter. Ill miss this once it ends in a few episodes. Really awesome attacks and the background for the magic was very intriguing.
The instrumental songs deserve mention, I wish I could buy the ost.
And in the first episode a character says the title of the show in a sentence. Nice. (This is a running joke with my roommate to see how many anime movies and shows say the title of a show in a sentence. Two in the last day. This and Your Name.)
These are miserable people. And nothing but pain awaits.
And in the first episode a character says the title of the show in a sentence. Nice. (This is a running joke with my roommate to see how many anime movies and shows say the title of a show in a sentence. Two in the last day. This and Your Name.)
Unfortunately it's not that difficult a conclusion. Everyone else in the show is so boring and uninteresting. Satania's the only character really worth watching. I think my big issue though is the music. I mean, there's something about it that just doesn't aid the comedy at all, as if its music more intended for a very casual and calm slice of life rather than something that's meant to make me laugh.
I thought he would die at every turn they made, but always ended up dying in the visions, terrible.
I wanted more about the earthquake and the tests stated, they didnt have to end it that fast, especially since there were no guards or anyone else actually after them.
Alright, finished the santa episodes. This means the first anime of Gintama is finished as well. It's weird how I remember some arcs so well, despite not reading the manga in years.
I wasn't sure where I left the anime, so I went back to season 3. Suprised how fast it all went by.
I'll watch Gintama' as well, however there are more shows on the backlog. Rose of Versailles is up next.
!!!!!!!Warning: Some 5 Centimeters per Second spoilers ahead!!!!!!!!!
(After re-reading my post over and over again I came to the conclusion to spoiler tag a few parts. Some of them will not read like spoilers as they are super vague, but I want to be as cautious as possible.)
I feel I need to start off by saying that I have a sort of love/hate relationship with Makoto Shinkai films. There's always a "but" for me. I really like Garden of Words, whereas I was fairly upset at 5 Centimeters per Seconds ending. 5 Centimeters is much too heavy-handed with its message, and it
came at the expense of a character
. Where Garden can
also be "sad" with its ending
, but it placed character interactions and story before its message. These are the only two films I've watched from Shinkai, as I am weary of them these days.
And, as some of you may know from all the things I've watched, I don't mind
"sad" or depressing endings
. Hell, sometimes I actively seek out shows and movies that have that. 5 Centimeters was a frustrating watch by the end. I see where he was going with it in the first act. There was a moment of
"This is going to end badly." By the second act I was aware things wouldn't go well for the male main character. I was okay with where it was going with it. The third act was where I got frustrated with it. See, I understand the duality of the lives between these two childhood sweethearts turned sour. The problem is in the process of heavy-handedly telling the audience that sometimes things don't work out and we must move on, the main character was left behind not hearing or learning the lesson/theme/message.
I've heard some people say they cried to the ending but I've always failed to see why.
I feel it's necessary to inform you all, mostly, about my feelings toward 5 Centimeters per Second before I move on to my impressions of Your Name, as I will point to the former numerous times throughout.
It is for the above reason why, even though everybody sung praises about Your Name, I went in with tempered expectations. After all, this is the same director who crafted 5 Centimeters, a beautiful movie
with an upsetting ending.
Yet, this is also the director of Garden of Words. One of my favorite anime movies in the last year that I just recently watched.
Shinkai, once again, does an amazing job in the animation again. The movie is really stunning to watch. The characters move in very convincing ways and the backgrounds are as beautiful as ever. The transition between Tokyo and the countryside helps accentuate the naturalistic beauty of the countryside, while showing the splendor and beauty of Tokyo. It really is quite something. These monumental differences in setting really elevate the beauty of the two and always makes you marvel at them every time they return to each setting.
The characters you get attached to, but it takes a bit to get to that point in the movie. The first 25 minutes or so are a slow burn, but are very much needed to establish some important characters beyond the two leads. (Shinkai loves having his two leads)
It's really no surprise that you will probably get attached to the leads in the movie. What was surprising, though, was how attached I got to even the side characters. I cared about their outcomes and what would become of them. Not an easy feat at all, but something I am glad Shinkai took the time to expand upon.
Now here's where I started getting 5 Centimeters vibes and was genuinely afraid of how Shinkai was going to resolve things in the third act. There were a few times where I thought the movie was going to end and not resolve itself, or perhaps not have a character come to learn or understand the message the movie is trying to convey to the audience. It's frustrating to watch
characters be sacrificed (metaphorically) for the sake of conveying a message to the audience.
I don't mind being conveyed a message. In fact, it's the reason I enjoy Japanese storytelling, as I think Hollywood has traded stories meant to send a message or teach a lesson for simple entertainment and flashiness. I just don't like the message to
come at the expense of a characters suffering and in of themselves not receiving the message the audience is.
There were points where I felt like Shinkai may have thought about doing it, because several times he does do it in the movie. Several times at the end it feels like he plays around with the idea. How it does end, however, I am satisfied with, and probably fills the needs of both the message/themes at hand while also having the characters come to learn this lesson (although there is a plot device used in the movie that I am not super thrilled about, but I can't cast stones from this glass house since some of my favorite anime shows use this device too).
What I am trying to say without spoiling anything is that Shinkai found a way to convey his message without leaving behind the characters in his story. He's a little more subtle about it now and I think this movie really shows how far he has come as a director. I watch and judge things for what they are rather than what they are not. I think this is a good (even great) movie. I am glad I went into it with the expectations I did. It is an ending I am more comfortable with than 5 Centimeters per Second's.
Lmao. I just remember that Family Guy episode where Peter is at the cinema and he's watching a bunch of films, and it keeps cutting to lines in the movies where they say the title of the movie. Hahaha.
Alrighty lost interest in this season for now aside from Tiger Mask W, Konosuba and the Tuesday shows. I intend to come back around after I indulge in some older stuff, pay my Aikatsu lifedebt off to 🐾(also known as the poster formerly known as ZachDeKoromaru), and finish some writing side projects.
Thinking these are the shows I should keep in mind:
